Archive
Title: VP Memo Announcing PhaseII of NPR
Author: Executive Office of the Vice President
Date: January 3, 1995
MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT: Second Phase of the National
Performance Review
The President has announced his proposal for a
Middle Class Bill of Rights to help the American
people restore the American dream. As part of this
effort, he has asked me to lead a second phase of
the National Performance Review. This review will
examine the basic missions of government, looking at
every single government program and agency to find
and eliminate things that don't need to be done by
the federal government. It will also sort out how
best to do the things government should continue to
do.
To begin this fundamental rethinking of what the
federal government should do and how it should do
it, I would like each of you immediately to form a
team in your agency to review everything you do,
asking:
- If your agency were eliminated, how would the
goals or programs of your agency be undertaken --
by other agencies, by states or localities, by
the private sector, or not at all?
- If there are goals or programs of national
importance that will remain undone and require a
federal role in order to be accomplished, should
they be done differently than they are being done
today in order to enhance service to the
customers?
- How do your customers (not just interest groups)
feel about the possible eliminations or changes?
This would build on your ongoing efforts to get
customer input about the services they want, and
how to improve satisfaction with the services we
provide. Throughout the review we have to
continue to put customers first and to deliver on
our published customer service standards.
Phase 2 of NPR will also review the federal
regulatory process to find a way to get better
results for the public with less interference in
their lives.
The staff of the National Performance Review will
distribute a schedule for the review. The review
will be a collaborative effort between the agencies
and the NPR staff, OMB, the President's Management
Council, and the White House Policy Councils.
The President and I believe absolutely in federal
workers. But these workers face uncertain times. We
need to involve them in sorting out tomorrow's
government. We need to continue to cut red tape and
empower them to get results. And we need to treat
them in a way that values their past contribution
and their role as the most important resource in the
government of the future.
Carrying out Phase 2 of the National Performance
Review while we deliver on the promises of Phase 1
is a big challenge. It is also an enormous
opportunity for us to change yesterday's government
and make it work for the America of today and
tomorrow. Thank you for your help.
.
